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An
Enthusiast's look at the
Loomis Bronzeback GLX
rod
(continued)
 Sensitivity: One area where G.Loomis rarely disappoints is in the sensitivity department. That "light and crisp" feel you get with this rod when you pull it out of the rod rack translates very well on the water to a responsive and sensitive product. The minimalist appearance of the guides is carried throughout the length of the rod with its matte finished blank and modest rod wraps. This all helps with the rod's weight and ability to transmit even the subtlest of hits into your hands.
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A look at one of the lackluster ReCoil guide and modest thread wrap
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Now I do need to qualify that while I might not have felt the tick and peck of each hit, I did sense a great number of those "something doesn't feel right" pickups while fishing split shot and shakey head rigs. It seems no matter how sensitive or insensitive your equipment may be, these types of mysterious sensation pickups are inevitable when employing finesse techniques.
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Yes, there really is no insert in these guides
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Power: Where this rod truly shines is the second you whip your wrist back to set hook on those mysterious sensations. The communication from the end of your line through the rod and into your hands of that fish shaking its head underwater is undeniable, and the nice, smooth bend of this rod, while a little forgiving, is at the same time, powerful and confidence inspiring.
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The SMR822S-SP-GLX features an attractive compressed cork butt cap as opposed to the black plastic butt on the old guard MBR sticks.
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My only disappointment here was my inability to locate a worthy bronzeback with which to truly test this rod. What I ended up settling for was a three and a half pound spotted bass out of Folsom Lake, California. Anyone who has ever caught or
targeted spotted bass know one thing - these fish are mean and absolutely crazy and any fish three pounds or over is an absolute thrill to catch.
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A standard Fuji spinning reel seat...
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This particular hookup came on a split shot rig using a 6" Straight Tail Roboworm in Morning Dawn. The hit was not mysterious, but one of those tell tale taps, or really, more like a "BAM". When I set hook, I thought for a second I had missed the fish and got a snag because the fish simply did not move, but then came the battle and the SMR822S-SP-GLX didn't even flinch. Thanks to the rod's more modest taper (as compared to the DropShot GLX), yet still, very good backbone, I was able to direct that crazy spotted bass away from the cover of shoreline, withstand several hard surges as the fish peeled line off my reel, and eventually coax it out from under and into the boat confidently.
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.. and a SiC tip top
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Features: As mentioned previously, aside from the recoil guides (standard tip top) and GLX blank, the SMR822S-SP-GLX is really nothing extraordinary feature-wise. It comes with a standard Fuji reel seat, cork grips and a closed loop hook hangar. The finish on the rod is minimal, a good thing, so the draw, really is in the blank. GLX has long held the acclaim as being tops in the marketplace and this rod does nothing to refute that reputation.
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One thing the Dropshot GLX doesn't have but this rod does, is the standard hook keeper
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Application: The Bronzeback GLX is really a nice, all purpose, spinning rig. I fished small jerkbaits, finesse plastics and jigs, and even the Sworming Hornets FishHead spin on this rod all with great success. The line rating of six to twelve pound test really covers a vast array of applications when hitting open, clear water lakes and reservoirs. The only place I would hesitate to use this, or any other similarly rated spinning rod, is in places like the California Delta where weeds and other cover can grow thick and heavier line is the rule of thumb.
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This rod is plenty powerful to fish in and around docks
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The usual G.Loomis markings and logo
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Warranty: Another plus with G.Loomis is their no-questions asked warranty. Though this is the last consideration I make whenever purchasing a rod, it is nice to know that if somewhere down the line, the rod does break on me, I'll be able to procure a suitable replacement with limited hassle and cost.
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One last look at the SMR822S-SP-GLX
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Ratings:
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G.Loomis SMR822S-SP-GLX Ratings (?/10)
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| Construction/Quality |
My Bronzeback GLX arrived clean and straight |
9.5 |
| Performance |
Solid and at times, inspiring |
9.0 |
| Price |
Don't even THINK about GLX unless you're aware of the price consequence |
7.5 |
| Features |
Not a fan of the ReCoil guides but they perform adequately on this stick |
8 |
| Design (Ergonomics) |
Nothing fancy but it is light and well balanced |
8.5 |
| Application |
A nice all purpose power and multi-species taper |
9 |
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Total Score
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8.58 |
Pluses and Minuses:
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Plus Minus
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| J GLX maintains its allure |
L Can be difficult to locate |
| J Matte Finish |
L GLX comes with a steep price |
| J Light and Balanced |
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| J Excellent taper for hard fighting, hard charging fish |
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This 4 pound spotted bass was loads of fun on the SMR822S-SP-GLX
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Conclusion: When battling crazy fighting fish like spotted bass and smallies, it pays to have a rod with the unique characteristics of a light, sensitive, forgiving tip, yet a solid, unrelenting backbone. G.Loomis delivers this combination and more with their SMR822S-SP-GLX Bronzeback GLX. While it's known I'm not the biggest proponent of the ReCoil guides, in the application of a spinning rod, I have to say, they are quite suitable. This may not stop me from eventually having the rod re-wrapped with some Ti-SiC guides, but that would simply be to increase the rod's aesthetic appeal in my eyes and open up the possibility of using some superline. On pure performance it's tough deny, this rod is a lot of fun to fish and on that characteristic alone, this rod is worthy of
an Editor's Choice!
Looking for a Loomis rod?
Check out the G.Loomis Superstore at
Monster Tackle
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